1. Field of the Invention
This application relates to exotic bird feeding devices and method. More particularly, it concerns a new type of device for feeding psittacines and a new method of feeding such birds and a method of feeding using such devices.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The keeping of exotic birds as pets has increased in popularity to the point where demand for such birds can no longer be met by capture from the wild. Therefore, to meet the demand, the vast majority of marketable exotic birds, particularly the psittacines, are now provided by professional breeders who obtain eggs from captive breeding pairs, incubate the eggs and raise to hatchlings from day zero to marketable age, i.e., 4-12 months. Such avian breeding requires extensive care of the young birds, including numerous and time consuming feedings.
Due to the structure of the digestive tract of psittacines and some other exotic birds, the feeding of new hatchlings is not comparable to feeding adult birds who can feed themselves with food supplied in trays. Thus, typical exotic bird aviaries force feed the young birds by inserting flexible or rigid cannulas down the bird's throat and forcing mushy food through the cannulas via a connected syringe. However, such conventional feeding practice involves a variety of problems that nevertheless are tolerated by the aviaries for want of something better. For example, the feeding syringes constitute a source of dangerous bacteria and must be constantly disinfected. Also, the syringe plungers are prone to sticking resulting in undesirable "plunging" during food delivery. Further, it is important that the food when feed to the birds have a temperature between about 105.degree.-110.degree. F. and this is difficult to attain with the current syringe and cannula feeding arrangements.